Another busy weekend at the box office – four new wide releases, all of them very different.

Jobs

Begun at the same time Steve Jobs took a medical leave of absence in 2011, production on this biography started shortly after his death later that year. Starring Ashton Kutcher as the man synonymous with Apple, Jobs takes a look at his life from when he founded the company, to when he was forced to leave, and then when he came back to raise the tech company to the high standards it’s known for today.

I was unable to screen this film, but I’m hearing mixed things about it. It may not be the best, or most accurate portrayal of the life of Steve Jobs, but it’s bound to be interesting at least. If only to see how Kutcher manages to pull off the role.

Trailer:

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Paranoia

Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Liam Hemsworth. A strong cast and decent writing are the only things that save this formulaic, and slightly over the top, corporate espionage thriller. Involving rival cell phone tech companies and playing off the current privacy concerns, it could be worse, but it’s not terribly good either.

A clear example of Oscar bait, Forest Whitaker stars as a real life butler in the White House who served from 1952 to 1986, getting a unique perspective of civil rights in the country. With a laundry list of costars including Oprah as his wife, this movie is heavily laden with talent. I didn’t get a chance to screen it, but depending on who you ask, the many stars are part of its downfall – seemingly focused more on being a crafted spectacle than a truly good film. It’s interesting enough, though, that I will plan on catching it in the future and it’s sure to get some awards buzz as well.

Trailer:

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Kick-Ass 2

The sequel to the hyper violent, ultra vulgar Kick-Ass this movie continues the tale of real people who decide to become super heroes (and villains), based on the comic book by Mark Millar. I loved the first and am disappointed that this makes the third wide release this weekend that I was unable to see. I’m hearing that it’s is a fun movie, but not quite on par with the first. With most of the original cast back, along with newcomers – including a controversial Jim Carrey – it looks like a wild ride. Chritopher Mintz-Plasse‘s character is back as the main villain this time and it’s going to up to Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) to stop him. If you liked the first, I’d say see this one.